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"The difference between a fall and a sacrifice is sometimes difficult, but I feel that Revan understood that difference, more than anyone knew. The galaxy would have fallen if Revan had not gone to war. Perhaps he became the Dark Lord out of necessity, to prevent a greater evil." ―Darth Traya

This thread is the largest summary of the power and influence of Darth Revan, and a companion to my Revan Respect Thread. "Twice he has come to our world. One day he will return again."

NOTE: For optimal experience, view this respect thread in its blog format. Additionally, please do not view this thread on a mobile or tablet device - use a laptop or personal computer. May the Force be with you.

Section I: Introduction

It has come to my attention that the general Star Wars debating community lacks knowledge on Darth Revan, one of the most influential and powerful Sith Lords in galactic history. Please take note that when I say "Darth Revan", I am referring to the times from his approximate birth in 3994 BBY to his betrayal at the hands of Darth Malak in 3957 BBY. All content in this thread will reflect from that thirty-seven year span unless specified otherwise. After several suggestions and encouragements from numerous friends of mine, I have decided to spend some time out of my "incredibly busy" schedule to educate you fellow readers on him. I hope you enjoy the thread and learn something new about Revan. Thank you for reading!

Section II: A Necessary Fall

You may find the way this blog is structured as quite peculiar, but it is intentional. It is written recounting the story of Darth Revan in a way geared heavily towards his philosophy, intentions, and underlying passions. Why did Revan go to war? Why did Revan fall? These questions will be answered. Frequent mentions and education on Revan's power and abilities will also be within these sentences, forcing you to actually read the entire thing (sorry Sasukedc). Nevertheless, Revan's mastery over the Force will be re-summarized in "Section IV". Please keep this in mind and have an open opinion while reading everything. Thanks!

"Revan was power. It was like staring into the heart of the Force. Even then, you could see the Jedi he would slay etched on his soul."

―Kreia (Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic 2: The Sith Lords)

Born in the Outer Rims in 3994 BBY, Revan was taken into the Jedi Order at an early age. In early concept for Revan's backstory, some claim that the makers originally planned for Revan to have killed his parents because they tried to keep him out of the Jedi Order, and thus stopping his growth as a Force user. The Jedi then assumed he was simply a boy who had lost his parents and took him in. While not official or canonical, and may quite frankly be simply fabricated, it's an interesting thing to note. For the sake of the rest of the thread, however, we will assume this is non-canon.

Once a member of the Order, he quickly rose to prominence as the most promising Jedi alongside fellow Jedi Malak. They trained on both Dantooine's Jedi Enclave and Coruscant's Jedi Temple under many Masters. I will highlight what Revan would have learned from his three most prominent masters below.

Kreia: This cryptic yet immensely powerful Force-user was Revan's first Jedi Master. Kreia has extensive knowledge on all forms of lightsaber combat, and likewise demonstrably taught Meetra Surik the advanced fundamentals of each form. She also had great knowledge in Beast Control, Breath Control, and the Force Forms. She explains to Meetra Surik that Revan learned everything he could from her, which would logically include all the content listed above. Any argument saying Kreia's knowledge on these powers were discovered on Malachor V is a fallacious argument since she merely studied the remains of what Revan already mastered.

"He came to me, yes. Both before and after, before Revan knew herself. And after, in the times when Revan was coming into his own and learning he was more than he had been told. At one time, Revan was my Padawan. In times past, long ago. But Revan, when he had learned all he could, had other masters."

―Kreia (Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic 2: The Sith Lords)

Master Dorak and Zhar Lestin: Regarded by Bastila Shan and The Complete Star Wars Encyclopedia as two of "the most powerful Jedi" in the entire galaxy, these two Jedi were also among the most respected on the Jedi Council. Master Dorak served as the head Jedi Historian, having total authority and knowledge of the ancient Jedi's secrets and lore. While on Coruscant, Revan and Malak also studied extensively under Zhar Lestin "for additional [combat] training." Revan's "hunger to learn seemed insatiable," and he learned all he could from them. Eventually "there was nothing more to be learned from the Jedi," and he returned back to his first master. Kreia, to see how to best leave the Order.

Revan's knowledge was not limited to the three masters above, however. The complete list of Jedi who took Revan under their guidance is unknown, though it is known to be more than what is listed above. Like he did with the other masters, he learned everything he could from them as well. One concept Revan took particular interest in was Force Bonds. Zez-Kai Ell, a master on understanding the concept, praised Revan's extensive knowledge on it. Little did he know Revan would later use this knowledge for unthinkable acts of corruption. This is a central theme of the blog and will be thoroughly examined later on. Merely make a mental note of this fact now. Hopefully I have you intrigued, let's continue.

"She is strong in the Force, but she is also impulsive, willful and proud - as you once were, Revan."

―Jolee Bindo (Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic)

One can argue Revan's fall to the dark side is partially to blame at the Jedi Council themselves. Their failure to take notice of Revan's behaviors as a Jedi Padawan and a young Jedi Knight cost them their lives. This pre-Mandalorian Wars incarnation of Revan has had many adjectives attributed to his name, but some contradict one another if you don't fully grasp what was happening. It is only logical that a star pupil and the champion of the Jedi Order would hold a great arrogance to the Jedi Council, much like Bastila Shan or Anakin Skywalker. This arrogance was a key factor in Revan going into the Mandalorian Wars. He learned all he could from the greatest Jedi of the era, so why would they deny him from the ancient secrets of Sith magic that he thirsted for? Despite the tension between Revan and the Jedi Council, his power and charisma was renowned throughout the younger generations of the Order. The first known recorded piece of Revan's fall was by Zez-Kai Ell. He explained that Revan intentionally targeted the passions, not the senses, of the young Jedi in the Order to help rally them to his Jedi Crusader cause. Revan exploiting and twisting the emotions of these Jedi away from their Jedi values was the start of Revan's infamous psychological campaign toward the later years of the war and beyond.

"We started by conquering worlds just outside the Republic. We did it quietly so the Republic wouldn't really know what was going on until too late. When we finally did hit the Republic worlds, they had no idea we were coming."

―Canderous Ordo (Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic)

The Mandalorian Wars was a galactic conflict spanning from 3976 BBY to 3960 BBY. For twelve years the Mandalorian fleet tested the Republic's defenses decades after the Great Sith Wars, fighting in small skirmishes along the Outer Rim. Eventually the Mandalorians amassed large enough resources and numbers from their conquered lands and launched an all-out invasion on Republic worlds. Under the direction of Mandalore the Ultimate, with the aid of Cassus Fett, the Mandalorians proved to be successful in seizing countless worlds before any real defense could begin to form.

As I described above, Revan assembled a large collection of young Jedi Knights under the banner of the Jedi Crusaders. They advocated revanchism, or the retaking of territories lost to the Mandalorian, and defied the Jedi Council's wishes when they began scouting missions to the battlefront in hopes of understanding more about their enemy. They stopped on Taris in hopes of recruiting some of the Jedi who were stationed there, but later departed for the planet Suurja. However, Revan left his followers on Suurja shortly afterward to investigate Mandalorian activity on Onderon and Dxun, and the Revanchists were unprepared for an ambush by Mandalorians led by Rohlan Dyre. Malak and the other Revanchists were taken to Flashpoint, where Demagol tortured and experimented on them in hopes of determining the source of their powers. Not long afterward, Revan reunited with his followers and continued his campaign for Jedi intervention but soon found himself to be a celebrity in the eyes of the Republic. Revan continued to travel the galaxy and bring his message to all who would listen. I like to picture it sort of like the Star Wars version of what Jesus Christ did, or maybe that's just me. Probably not though.

"...you must realize that Revan was as great as a Jedi could be."

―Juhani (Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic)

Everything changed for the Jedi Crusaders upon investigating the planet of Cathar in hopes of understanding how the species had vanished. The Jedi Council soon came to Cathar to confront Revan and his followers proclaiming there was nothing special about the Mandalorians. They decreed they must abandon their efforts and disperse - forever. As all seemed lost, Revan noticed something underfoot - a Mandalorian mask. As he picked it up, all of the Jedi present were suddenly enveloped in a shared Force vision of the past: They witnessed Cassus Fett herd the defenseless Cathar into the ocean and massacre them, despite the protests of the woman who originally donned the infamous mask of Revan. Disgusted by the genocide, Revan put on the mask and vowed to wear it until all of the Mandalorians were brought to justice. This was the beginning of the end for everyone.

Soon after, Revan and Malak helped prevent the Battle of Duro from becoming an even larger disaster, arriving with a fleet of warships to prevent the Mandalorians from escaping with massive stocks of material from Duro's orbital shipyards. Bowing to the feelings of Republic citizens and eager to register his displeasure with the Jedi Council, the Supreme Chancellor named Revan the Supreme Commander of the Republic's military forces following the battle.

"There is a place in the galaxy where the dark side of the Force runs strong. It is something of the Sith, but it was fueled by war. It corrupts all that walks on its surface, drowns them in the power of the dark side - it corrupts all life. And it feeds on death. Revan knew the power of such places, and the power in making them."

―Kreia (Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic 2: The Sith Lords)

During the war, Revan and his Jedi Crusaders continued to fall down the dark path as they sacrificed their morals for victory. Eventually, Revan and Malak discovered an ancient ruin of the Rakata species on Dantooine, where they found a Star Map - a relic of the Rakata that showed part of the location of the Rakatan space station known as the Star Forge. After much consideration, Revan consciously opened the door to the map in pursuit of the immense dark power it was radiating, despite knowing the consequence that the Jedi Order would surely banish them if they knew the truth. This was Revan's first major leap to become a full-fledged dark-sider. The map directed them to Tatooine, Manaan, and Korriban in order to find their ultimate prize - the mythical Star Forge.

During this time, Revan stumbled across Malachor V while searching for potential strongholds to withstand the Mandalorian attacks. Malachor V was a place of cultural taboo for the Mandalorians, and it was forbidden to any to step foot on it. The reason became clear when the immensely powerful dark side energies of the planet went to corrupt Revan. While the planet would later take even the likes of Darth Traya and thousands of Jedi as its own, Revan's Force and telepathic resistance were impenetrable. He allowed himself to feed on, but not be consumed by, the power of the dark side. Experiencing the true power of the planet for himself, he searched the surface for more treasure.

He found the Trayus Academy and discovered numerous Sith artifacts and holocrons, all stored in great tomb-like cities buried beneath Malachor V's surface. As Revan plundered these tombs and relics, he fell deeper into the dark side. He learned of the true nature of Korriban, he learned of the location of other Sith artifacts, and he learned how those strong in the light side of the Force could be seduced and made to see the strength inherent in the Sith teachings. Using his newfound knowledge, Revan developed a brilliant, yet evil, plan: he will push back the Mandalorian fleet to Malachor V alongside his Jedi Crusaders so he can simultaneously turn the planet's power against the Mandalorian army in battle and seduce his army of Jed to be completely loyal to him alone. Even as the Republic hailed him as a hero, every action he took during the war was to make this plan a reality. The corruption of Revan was complete.

"It was not your ships or your men or your vaunted 'fight for freedom' that won this, the final battle of the war. It was by the actions of one person–the Jedi Revan–that you prevailed. Revan's strategies and tactics defeated the best of us. Even Mandalore himself was taken aback by the ferocity, the tenacity, and the subtlety of Revan's plans."

―Canderous Ordo (Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic)

Revan lead the charge against the Mandalorians, pushing them back and reclaiming countless worlds in the battles of the Vorzyd, Stenos, Elom, Taris, and Lianna sectors. He did more than simply bully the Mandalorian fleet into submission with raw firepower however. Canderous Ordo accounts Revan's mastery at feints, counterattacks, and mass deceptions. It is said only Revan could have done what he did, and if he hadn't intervened the galaxy would have fell to Mandalore. The actions in those battles have been long lost from the pages of history. Their only relevance for most is that it demonstrates Revan's peerless tactical prowess. It was more than that though... far more. Revan used these battles to slowly break his own forces. He didn't break them physically however, but mentally. By the time of the heart of the Mandalorian crusade that was the Battle of Dxun, Revan's forces had a deep, intense devotion and commitment to his cause. This was the plan of course - they were all unknowing pawns. Dxun served as the pinnacle of Revan's ingenious plan, and set the scene for the massacre of Malachor V.

The Battle of Dxun was arguably the bloodiest battle of the Mandalorian Wars. It was said that for every Mandalorian who died, ten Republic soldiers shared the same fate. Little does history, or the fan-base, know that this was indeed intentional. HK-47 and Meetra Surik note that the battle could have easily been won without the amount of casualties they suffered. Under the command of Meetra Surik, Revan forced her forces through "a hundred feints" during the battle, dwindling her numbers down to a quarter of their full strength. The majority of her remaining soldiers were lost during a desperate charge across a minefield as they attempted to strike at the Mandalorian emplacements, as Revan ordered. This entire charge however was completely unnecessary for victory, and there were far easier choices for a more decisive victory.

"When faced with a continuous series of hard-fought battles, I detected a significant statistical increase in Jedi following Revan over the Jedi Code - a compromise in principles brought about by battlefield conditions.The emotional weight of war changed Jedi morale, power, and eventually, their allegiance. I believe the Mandalorian Wars were to beat the Mandalorians and also to allow Revan to build the foundation of his army. But I am surprised you have not already arrived at this conclusion. Surely the loss of your troops and the Jedi who served under you at Malachor V, had a detrimental effect upon you and your ties to the Force - and I suspect, your desire to be around others ever again."

―HK-47 (Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic 2: The Sith Lords)

HK-47 accounts that Revan saw Dxun as a way to break Jedi psychologically in the heat of conflict. Like I mentioned a while back, Revan will use this tactic many times. Take note that the forces of Dxun were under Meetra Surik's command. Revan eliminated a large bulk of her forces and defeated the Mandalorians together in a glorious victory for himself. It is no coincidence that after this battle, the remnants of Meetra Surik's forces saw Revan single-handily annihilate a huge number of Mandalorian ground forces on Althir with casual ease. And it makes perfect sense too: Revan wanted the soldiers not loyal to the Republic or to the Jedi Exile, but rather to him. He secretly orchestrated the entire battle in order to gain the loyalty of Surik's forces. Who would they be more loyal to: the general who, in their mind, lead thousands of them to their death in an unavailingly futile ground incursion on Dxun, or the one who expeditiously obliterated Mandalorian forces on Althir and showed superior leadership abilities? The answer is obvious.

"The Mandalorian Wars were a series of massacres that masked another war, a war of conversion. Culminating in a final atrocity that no Jedi could walk away from..."

―Kreia (Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic 2: The Sith Lords)

The Battle of Malachor V was one of the deadliest and influential battles in galactic history. It marked the end of the Mandalorians as a galactic threat for the rest of time, and set the scene for the Jedi Civil Wars and First Jedi Purge. The entire battle was manipulated by Revan alone to...

Eradicate the Mandalorian armada from the face of the galaxy for history.

Gain an army of Jedi and Republic followers with unyielding loyalty to him.

The plan itself was highly complex and was planned by Revan since his first encounter with Malachor V.

"Master, I do not believe that the Mandalorians were the true target at Malachor. I believe that the intention was to destroy the Jedi, break their will, and make them loyal to Revan. I do not know if you examined the records of the deaths on Malachor, but you cannot escape that many of the Jedi and Republic soldiers who died were not Revan's strongest supporters. I believe that Revan was "cleaning house" at Malachor V. What ones did not die became Revan's allies against the Republic."

―HK-47 (Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic 2: The Sith Lords)

As the game canonically says, "It is no coincidence that the Republic fleet at Malachor was composed of soldiers and Jedi whose loyalties to Revan were in doubt." Before the Battle of Malachor V, Revan split his fleet in two. He gave Meetra Surik the "tattered remains" of a portion of his armada, whose soldiers' loyalties were in doubt through the horrors of war and loss. The soldiers that remained with him were the ones he had molded into unwavering loyalty. Upon seeing the "damaged, weakened and vulnerable" armada led by Meetra Surik, the Mandalorians quickly followed them. As Revan planned, she lured them to Malachor V. Malachor V was a forbidden world to the Mandalorians - a cultural taboo that Revan used against them. If you recall, Malachor V was also a planet that contained immense dark side energies Revan planned to use against both fleets.

The battle began with Revan's fleet conveniently delayed by a mere Mandalorian scouting party. This setback was however Revan's intentions. He needed to join the battle with the Republic on the losing end of the spectrum for the next phase of the plan to effectively work. Bao-Dur, the creator of the Mass Shadow Generator, describes that, before Revan arrived, the Mandalorian forces "tore into us like beasts, shredding our ships to scrap as we fought back."

"Revan used the Trayus Academy to influence the battle above Malachor V, using its power to affect the tide of battle and corrupt others to the Sith. "

―Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords

When Revan arrived with the bulk of the Republic fleet at his back, the Mandalorians realized they have been tricked. Revan used the Force to call upon the dark side energies of Malachor V and the Trayus Academy, and then released the energies against both fleets. The dark side power turned the side of the conflict while also corrupting hundreds of Jedi into his Sith minions. I will highlight the full scale of this feat later on, but please take note of its badassery. While doing this, Revan single-handily challenged Mandalore the Ultimate to a duel in single-combat. Mandalore was the greatest and deadliest Mandalorian of his time. His greatest combat feat was perhaps on the Arkanian Legacy where he defeated Malak in a single-stroke with his "infused cortosis" battle-axe, which had an installed energy cell that enabled the axe to deliver a strong electric charge "to achieve double the damage." He was ultimately insignificant to Revan's power, being deemed as "no match."

What Revan did next though was the biggest insult ever directed at the Mandalorians. Denying Mandalore his honor, he stripped him of his mask. In Mandalorian tradition, the wearer of Mandalore's mask was therefore the Mandalore. Revan however, denied them of the mask and took it with him when he left. He went and hid the mask in an isolated, long-forgotten planet in the Outer Rim (as you will later learn). This gross humiliation of their most sacred possession spoke volumes of Revan's disgust for them. As he would later say, "Honor is a fool's prize. Glory is of no use to the dead."

As the tide of the battle turned, Revan positioned his fleet outside the range of the Mass Shadow Generator, and then ordered Meetra Surik to activate the secret weapon. Moments later, a significant portion of both fleets were suddenly drawn from orbit into a vast gravity vortex that was powerful enough to crush the countless ships into the planet's crust and fracture Malachor V to its very core. During the event, Malachor V was turned into a broken cluster of planetoids that were only tenuously fused together by the gravitational anomalies present in the system. Orbiting the broken remains of the planet was the wreckage of countless Mandalorian and Republic warships. All that remained on the surface of the planet was a desolate graveyard echoing with the deaths of thousands of Jedi, Republic soldiers, and Mandalorians.

Section III: The Psychological War

"I think Revan pitied you, master. It was very insulting, if I may say so."

―HK-47 (Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic 2: The Sith Lords)

Directly following the destruction of Malachor V, Malak felt the wound of the Force that surrounded Meetra Surik and wanted Revan to use his assassin droid HK-47 to eliminate Surik, but Revan, who referred to her as a Jedi "who was already dead," wanted her to face the Council and show them the hypocrisy of their teachings, and so he let her leave. This was a very tactical move by Revan, for showing the Jedi Council how far a Jedi could fall under him echoed a message far greater than any word could.

"They tricked me. We were never meant to win this war. They used me and my people to test the Republic's strength."

―Mandalore the Ultimate (Star Wars: The Old Republic: Revan)

In the aftermath of his duel with Mandalore, the Ultimate spoke that he was manipulated by the ancient Sith to go into war with the Republic. Revan and Malak went to Rekkiad following the battle, where they followed Mandalore's directions to discover the truth behind his tragic tale. There, they discovered the tomb of an ancient Sith Lord and a datacron within his sarcophagus that confirmed Mandalore's account of manipulation. The datacron spoke of a planet named Nathema, and the two Jedi decided to travel there in order to seek out the Sith who had manipulated Mandalore. Before departing, Revan left Mandalore's Mask in Dramath's sarcophagus to ensure that the Mandalorians did not rediscover it. Revan and Malak traveled to Nathema and were astonished to discover that the planet was completely barren of the Force. However, Revan and Malak resisted the sensation that they were splitting into trillions of subatomic particles that would scatter across the entire surface of Nathema. Overcoming the feeling of the void, the two learned the story of the Sith Lord Vitiate, who had lived around the time of the Great Hyperspace War between the Republic and the Sith Empire a thousand years earlier. They found out Vitiate had convinced many of the remaining Sith to join him in a ritual of Sith magic, but the Ritual of Nathema had resulted in the extinction of all life on the surface of Nathema and the immortality of Vitiate, who took on the name of Sith Emperor and gathered the younger generations of Sith before departing the remains of the shattered Sith Empire.

Determined to locate the Sith threat, Revan and Malak followed the Sith survivors' trail to the dark side world of Dromund Kaas, which they discovered to be the capital of an ancient Sith Empire. Posing as mercenaries, the pair spent months learning everything they could about the Empire and its ruler, and they soon uncovered the Emperor's plans for an invasion of the Republic. But instead of warning the known Jedi, the two fallen Jedi—proud and overconfident—believed that they could defeat the Emperor alone, and they looked for a way to infiltrate the Imperial Citadel so that they could confront the Sith ruler. The pair received aid from Yarri, a member of the Imperial Guard who protected the Emperor, but the Jedi were unaware that all Guardsmen were bound to the Emperor's will and that she was leading them into a trap. They went and confronted the Emperor, but he was waiting for them. Instead of fighting them, he overpowered their wills and corrupted them to the dark side, proclaiming them Darth Revan and Darth Malak. Jedi scholars attribute their fall to the dark side at the hands of the Emperor, but this is far from the truth. As you read in "Section II", Revan was already deeply immersed in the dark side.

"But this young one, like the other Jedi brethren, is unaware of the tremendous dark side power wielded by Revan..."

―Star Wars: Chronicles of the Old Republic

Revan was described as being a master of the dark side of the Force as far back as the Mandalorian Wars, as evidenced by his corruption of his Republic fleet on Malachor V. Revan had already deeply embraced the dark side by this point, so attributing his fall to the Emperor is laughable. Instead, all the Emperor merely did was proclaim them Sith Lords and Darths, which makes sense: Revan was merely an immensely corrupted fallen Jedi - not a Sith. It also makes logical sense that the Emperor would be able to corrupt them to his personal servants since they were already carrying a tremendous dark side taint, as Bastila Shan explains in Knights of the Old Republic. I would also like to point out that Vitiate proclaimed Revan and Malak as Darths immediately following their encounter. This has never been done in the history of Vitiate's empire, even to the likes of Darth Malgus, Darth Nox, or Darth Thanaton. It was unheard of that the Emperor would appoint two mere people that don't even have ranks within the Sith Empire to one of the highest positions possible. Not only this, but the Emperor proclaimed Revan and Malak as the "vanguard" of the entire Sith Order! This is a testament to the great dark side power the two wielded. The Emperor overestimated the willpower of Darth Revan and Darth Malak however, and they shortly broke free of his mental domination following the encounter. The Emperor, knowing that the pair already had knowledge on the Star Forge, sent them out to retrieve the device for his Sith Empire.

Revan himself has a different version saying, "Our minds twisted and perverted his instructions until we thought we were acting of our own accord... partially freeing us from his control.” This however, is far from the truth. Not only did Revan and Malak fully break themselves from his control, but they triggered the Jedi Civil War in hopes to stopping the Emperor. But, who cares what I think? I concede that my personal opinion on what happened is meaningless if Revan said otherwise, but I am supported by something far greater than mere words - actions. Virtually every source in Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic 2: The Sith Lords, from in-universe characters to the game creators themselves, confirm Revan's actions in the Jedi Civil War was to "unify the galaxy against" a threat in the Unknown Regions - the true Sith Empire. The game describes it better than I can with the quote, "There was a pattern to Revan's attacks during the Jedi Civil War. He sought to convert Jedi, not kill them. But that is not all. In fact, he fought to keep the infrastructure intact, killed certain political leaders that would lead to destabilization - first patriarch Lelin-Dor of Serroco, the Corellian diplomat Mimas Yoon, and Yusanis of Echani." In fact, the game notes that Revan intentionally left worlds like Onderon unaffected by the Jedi Civil War. Why? "Its resources and position on the Rim make it a vital supply line and a guard post against Outer Rim attacks."

"The sect of assassins that chase you feed on the Force... Those Sith assassins can sense their prey through the Force—it is like a hunger. They feed, and grow stronger, when they are near Force Sensitives. The stronger their prey is in the Force, the deadlier they become."

―Kreia (Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic 2: The Sith Lords

While Revan was in the Unknown Regions building his fleet, he established a Sith Academy on the long lost world of Korriban. The bulk of his corrupted Jedi followers became Dark Jedi - the dark side equivalent to Jedi Knights. He established another sect however, the elite Sith Assassins. However, Instead of bringing them to Korriban, he brought them to Malachor V. There he used the power of Malachor V to break those Jedi, turning them into mindless followers with the sole purpose to hunt down and covert Jedi to join their cause. Experiencing the wound of Malachor V, they too became a wound, forever feeding on other Force-sensitives to try to sustain their forever growing appetite.For a comparison, they were basically miniature versions of Darth Nihilus, but extremely deadly nevertheless. Unlike the Lord of Hunger however, the closer they are to powerful Jedi, the more powerful they became. Meetra Surik shared this same trait as a wound in the Force too.

Revan taught the Sith Assassins many unorthodox techniques. One of the most notable was Force Concealment, in which he taught them how to "hide their minds" when facing Jedi in combat. "Generally, this was done by broadcasting strong emotions while thinking about something else. It was a curious technique, but it seemed to be effective in blinding Jedi. Whether guilt, lust, fear - they act as mental interference, making finding the true intentions of the broadcasting meatbag difficult." These Sith Assassins additionally used Force Concealment as they navigated throughout the galaxy in shadows, with no Jedi being able to sense their presence until it was too late. Their prowess in Force Drain also comes from Revan since he trained them personally, as I will highlight intensely in "Section IV". Their most interesting technique however was to sever a Jedi's connection to the Force through psychological manipulation. Revan, of course, was a master at this art and ensured all the Sith Assassins were trained extensively in it.

If you recall in "Section I", Revan studied the art of Force Bonds to mastery level. Now it is time for the explanation on why. "Revan said that many Jedi have the capability to form connections to life around them, although few of them realized the extent to which this is possible. He speculated that many Jedi did not fully form such connections because of their discipline, because they never opened their lives to the passions around them." This technique was confirmed in the dialogue files of the game to be identical to what Meetra Surik did to her crew. While Revan can use Force Bonds to gain power, he could also use it to take power away. As we saw all throughout the Mandalorian Wars, Revan was an utter master at psychological warfare. Through the tense conflicts on Dxun and Malachor, he discovered a unique variation of Sever Force. Revan knew much of a Jedi's power comes from their state of mind, so he targeted this. Through his skill in telepathy and foresight, Revan would make his "opponents doubt themselves, their believes, or their intentions. Such things disrupt connections to the Force - and death soon follows." While this technique was only employed by Darth Revan and his Sith Assassin followers, its effectiveness is indisputable. The random disappearance of hundreds of Jedi during the Jedi Civil War and Dark Wars is a testament to this fact. It took the Jedi Order decades to recover from the loss.

"And when my scouts told me of a great warrior from the sky slaughtering our raiding parties with mysterious powers and magics, I knew you had at last returned!"

―The One (Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic)

Following the path the Star Maps had given them and their lust for an empire ever stronger after their encounter with the Emperor, Darth Revan and Darth Malak eventually located Rakata Prime. However, their ship crashed on the planet upon arrival due to the disruptor field. Rakata scouting parties and rancors went to salvage the wreckage, but Revan and Malak turned their power on them. Seeing the power of the two Sith Lords, they bowed before them and took them before The One - the infamous leader of the Black Rakata, which was the largest existing tribe of the Rakata species. Unable to understand the primitives' language, Revan tore the knowledge from the Rakata leader with the Force and implanted Basic into their skulls. Then, he manipulated the Black Rakata and another tribe named the Elders to open the doors to the Temple of Ancients in order to disable the disruptor field of the planet and obtain his precious Star Forge. To do this, he persuaded the Council of the Elders that he would destroy the Star Forge, for it had been responsible for destroying the infamous Rakata Empire thousands of years prior. As you already know if you played Knights of the Old Republic, this was far from his actual intentions.

Now in possession of the Star Forge, Revan used the great Rakata factory to build him an "Infinite Army" of warships to battle the Republic and Jedi with, because please remember that "in their hearts, they never forgot the Jedi. The hatred for the Jedi Order burns in their veins like fire, and echoes in their teachings. Revan tasted it, as Malak did." Revan used the Star Forge to create himself a pair of dark robes immersed in dark side energies. The garment allowed Revan to channel his dark side energies to unleash even more destructive power than ever before. The robes were so tainted with " terrible power" that the Jedi Council declared the robes to be an "abomination" and "destroyed" it upon capturing Revan years later. However, it should be noted that not anyone has the power to control the Star Forge. In the course of galactic history, even the infamous masters of the Rakata Empire failed to resist its corruption. It was said that "only one who is immensely strong in mind can harness the power of the Star Forge without suffering a similar fate."

Upon realizing the Star Forge was capable of far more than just the creation of weapons, he took fragment of the Star Forge, no bigger than a fingertip, and experimented with it and discovered that the device fed on whatever it was given - whether it be the Force or simply basic mass - and returned the basic building blocks of the universe. He left the fragment in the depths of the moon Nar Shaddaa in the care of a number of Ongree servants in a large complex. The slaves, whose descendants came to know Revan only as a godlike figure known as "The Revan", remained loyal to his instructions and cared for the "Infinite Engine." These aliens documented once that, "The Revan was here yesterday. It is a gift to be in the presence. I felt the Force - it travels below your skin, strait to the heart, lungs, the gut. A warmth and a chill."

"Revan and Malak. Once Jedi heroes, their fall to the dark side would ignite the Jedi Civil War and nearly obliterate the Republic."

―Star Wars: The Old Republic Encyclopedia

Revan kicked off the Jedi Civil War by using his knowledge of the Republic Military's inner workings and attacked the shipyards of Foerost in 3958 BBY. In the Battle of Foerost, Revan's forces seized most of the Republic warships there and destroyed the rest, delivering a crippling blow. Revan already had one-third of the Republic's armada from his time as the Supreme Commander, so adding on his Infinite Army of the Star Forge and the armada of Foerost tilted the chances in Revan's favor from the very beginning. Darth Revan went on to conqueror Randon, Telos, Axxila, Roche, Daalang, Gizer, Ithor, Fondor, Yag'Dhul, Duro, Belassa, Allanteen, and countless other worlds, winning "victory after victory." During the war, Darth Malak began to see "Lord Revan as soft, resulting in a tension that culminates in a lightsaber duel; Malak loses his lower jaw to Revan's blade, necessitating a metallic jaw guard."

With no general near his equal in tactical brilliance, Revan was canonically deemed as "one of the most ambitious Sith in history" and it was said that "he certainly would have succeeded [in defeating the Republic] were it not for the betrayal of his apprentice" (as I will now describe). In desperation, the Jedi Council sent a small fleet lead by Jedi Knight Bastila Shan to ambush the Dark Lord. Using her Battle Meditation, Bastila Shan and a group of Jedi Knights boarded Revan's ship and confronted him. It can be assumed that these Jedi's were among the finest in the Order, for the Jedi Council would obviously not send stock-and-file Jedi to battle such a threat. Unfazed, Darth Revan prepared for combat against the entire strike team. Just then however, Darth Malak capitalized on the diversion and fired upon Revan's flagship. The fire from Malak's ship killed nearly all the Jedi present and left Revan unconscious. The only survivor of the strike team, Bastilla Shan, saved Revan's life with the Force and took him to safety - forming a powerful Force bond between them in the process. She brought the comatose Sith Lord with her to Dantooine before the Jedi Council, who temporarily erased Revan's memories and turned him into an instrument of the Jedi. The Dark Lord of the Sith was no more.

Section IV: Heart of the Force

"You, Revan, are the single greatest warrior of this age, and any battle we fight will bring me honor."

―Canderous Ordo (Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic)

I will not go in detail on Revan's lightsaber abilities since my respect thread on the character covers all those shenanigans under "Combat Abilities". However, before we delve into his Force powers, I would like to briefly summarize his skills. Revan was regarded by the Mandalorians as the greatest warrior the Republic has ever seen (which includes Exar Kun), and the greatest warrior of the age. Revan was also canonically stated by numerous sources to be the most powerful Jedi of the era. His prowess was such that he killed armies of Mandalorians during the Mandalorian Wars, even frequently combating and destroying Basilisk war droids. During the Jedi Civil War, it was said that only a few individuals were capable of facing Revan on the battlefield and even surviving the encounter. Among the greats of the era included Darth Malak ( the second most powerful Jedi of the era), Yusanis (one of the greatest Echani warriors in history), Mandalore the Ultimate (the most powerful Mandalorian during their prime). Revan beat all three of these opponents, and countless more, in single-combat. None were even a "match" to the Dark Lord's prowess.

"Yet with Revan, there was the same commitment, but it was a subtle thing, like weaving threads in a tapestry, or strokes upon a canvas. He spoke through battle and tactics in a way one could never do in words. He showed his heart at Malachor V, and finally at the end of the Jedi Civil War. I believe he was speaking to Malak in that final battle, though few knew it."

―Brianna (Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic: The Sith Lords)

Telekinesis: Arguably the most famous Force power, the ability to move objects at your will is impressive indeed. While Revan's character has many extremely impressive telekinetic feats, his Darth Revan incarnation doesn't exactly hold a majority of them. We see Revan in the picture on the left telekinetically choking a Sith Officer, and we later see Darth Revan killing a Republic Solider through the force during the ambush by Bastila Shan's Jedi Strike Team. Besides this, Revan has also shown the ability to manipulate objects to a subatomic level, as demonstrated by the creation of his Sith Holocron as I elaborated on above. He is also said to be skilled in Force Whirlwind, Force Wound, and Force Scream. Additionally, as you will learn below later, Revan is "far more powerful" than a Force-user capable of telekinetically moving Star Destroyer fleets.

Force Drain*: Darth Revan was an extensive master in the art of draining the life from other beings on a massive scale. Darth Traya learned all her Sith techniques from the ancient knowledge of Malachor V - knowledge Revan already studied extensively beforehand. Because of this, it is highly likely Revan knows Force Drain on the type of scale she has displayed, if not greater, for Revan established and trained the Sith Assassins, a sect that uses the Force in the same way Darth Nihilus did, and tracked individuals by feeding on their connection to the Force (as I covered extensively in earlier Sections). It should also be noted that Revan experienced the traumas of Malachor V, and even regularly walked among the halls of the Trayus Academy on the world during the Jedi Civil War.

Additionally, upon arriving to the planet of Malachor V for the first time, "Revan's will allowed him to feed on (and not be consumed by) the power of the dark side." Darth Bane also learned of Force Drain and how to use the ability from the Holocron of Darth Revan. Darth Bane would later use this knowledge to create an immensely powerful Death Field that utterly destroyed his victims. Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic Campaign Guide credits Revan to be able to amplify his Force Drain's powers to be effective as far as a star system's distance. (For Revan's greatest Force Drain feat, please continue reading.)

"Drain Life: A delicate procedure that saps the life energy of another and funnels it directly into your own essence. It is extremely difficult to employ in combat and is derived from the teachings of Zelashiel the Blasphemer in the Holocron of Darth Revan."

―Darth Bane (Star Wars: Book of the Sith)

Force Corruption*: Revan was an expert in the practice of corrupting Jedi to the dark side of the Force. On Malachor V he learned how to corrupt even some of the strongest of Jedi to the dark side through Telepathy and Mind Control. His corruption abilities were renowned to such a degree that Darth Traya believed that Revan had the capability of creating nexus' with such powerful dark side energies that it would break the will's of Jedi. This is supported by the fact that Darth Revan left a taint of darkness everywhere he went due to the sheer power emitting from him. (For Revan's greatest Force Corruption feat, please continue reading.)

"He learned of the location and the true nature of Korriban, he learned of the location of other Sith artifacts, and he learned how those strong in the light side of the Force could be seduced and made to see the strength inherent in the Sith teachings."

―Star Wars: Chronicles of the Old Republic

"I sense that Revan once passed through here, leaving a strong impression behind in the crystals."

―Kreia (Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic 2: The Sith Lords)

Force Concealment: Revan had great knowledge over this ability, and taught his elite Sith Assassins how to use and master it to a grand scale. "Revan had many of them trained to "hide their minds," as it were. Again, once these techniques were learned, the percentage of living Jedi began to decrease accordingly." This ability of hiding your mind is also a demonstration of Force Resistance, since they did it from other Jedi Knights. Darth Revan also taught the Sith Assassins to hide their entire presences in the Force from the Jedi Order, forever striking from the shadows without being seen. They were able to eliminate hundreds of Jedi during the Jedi Civil Wars and First Jedi Purge.

"It is a different war these Sith wage, a thing of silence and shadow. They strike from the darkness, hiding from the face of the galaxy, until all Jedi are exterminated. After all the Jedi are gone, then the galaxy is theirs, no matter whether the Sith or the Republic rules… it is the dark side that shall reign, unchecked. I believe them to be the result of special teachings. Or is it the ways of darkness and shadow you seek, the power that comes from striking unseen and sensing weaknesses in your enemy? The ways of the assassins of the Sith. Those Sith assassins can sense their prey through the Force—it is like a hunger. They feed… and grow stronger… when they are near Force Sensitives. The stronger their prey is in the Force, the deadlier they become."

―Kreia (Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic 2: The Sith Lords)

Force Sense: Darth Revan's greatest ability is generally accepted to be his utterly peerless mastery over Battle Precognition. Battle Precognition, a variant of Precognition, allowed one to sense the flows of the Force. It allowed Revan to know where an attack is going to strike or hit him before it happened, allowing him to anticipate and strike or defend against it. Revan skill in this ability was so great he "said to be able to predict the path of wars, of battles, years in advance." The Echani credited this ability of Revan over how he was so successful in warfare, being among the greatest military leaders in galactic history and all. Kreia would later comment, "He did nothing lightly, and his plans often could not been felt for months, or even years after he did them." Additionally, he was able to expand his senses to at least a planetary scale, demonstrated when he was able to able to pinpoint the location of an ancient dark side crypt to its location, the First Spear, across all of the planet Rekkiad. Besides this, he also demonstrated advanced skill in Force Visions - being able to foresee "galaxy wide chaos and sorrow" during the Mandalorian Wars.

"It is the way of the Echani to be able to read their opponents - to know where an opponent is going to strike before it connects, anticipate it, and then strike against them. Echani battles are fought several minutes in advance - in many ways, it is much like the game of dejarik played in the core systems. The most advanced among the Echani are able to predict the course of battles by months, and the most revered are said to be able to predict the path of wars. Only Revan ever demonstrated such a skill in war. And even as he slaughtered us, the Echani still respected him."

―Brianna (Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic: The Sith Lords)

"The Echani rely heavily on hand-to-hand combat and personal shield technology, and they had their asses handed to them by Revan during the Jedi Civil War, because, not surprisingly, there weren't many people able to face Revan across a battlefield and survive the encounter. The greatest among the Echani are said to be able to read their opponent's moves so ell they can predict the path of a battle several seconds, sometimes even minues in advance, by gauging their opponent's fighting style, heart rate, and ther movements in combat. In many ways, the Echani see combat as a rapid dejarik game, calculating feints, attacks, and dodges with a speed that few can surpass."

―Chris Avellone (Knights of the Old Republic 2 Head Writer)

Force Resistance: Revan was arguably among the greatest practicers of all Force and mental resistance. Not only was Revan's will capable of resisting Malachor V, but he was capable of drawing on its power to such a degree that it affected entire fleets. This caliber of resistance has never been replicated in the mythos, especially considering Malachor V was specifically used as a world to break Jedi's will's. It even broke the likes of Darth Traya, who was one of the most famed telepaths ever. Revan later resisted the void of Nathema - which created a sensation that he was splitting into trillions of subatomic particles that would scatter across the entire surface. Revan was also one of the two beings in history capable of controlling the Star Forge - something the ancient Rakata masters and supposedly even the ancient Dark Jedi of the time of Ajunta Pall could not do. To control the Star Forge requires one to be "immensely strong in mind," and the consequences for failure is described as being drained and devoured by the stations' dark energies. His prowess reached such a level that it took the "combined might" of the entire Jedi Council to merely temporarily brainwash Revan.

"We were not the first to fall to the dark side. But we had more power than those before us. It came from elsewhere - our oldest secret. Only we would know, we lords. Only we would know where our power came from. It is a secret of so long ago. I no longer remember. So much power, it is blinding. You must find this place, or have you? Or did you? Or will you? Oh, so many images. I see your heart, human Jedi. I see your power, your pride. You, you will find the old place, the dark place,and you will regret it."

―Ajunta Pall (Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic)

"Even the combined power of the Jedi Council couldn't keep your true identity buried forever, could it?"

―Darth Malak (Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic)

The knowledge of lore that Revan wielded was unrivaled during his day, and still stood thousands of years later as among the most legendary. While Revan's greatest accomplishments with the Force itself would come after his rebirth in Darth Nyriss' citadel, he was still an ultimate master of the ancient arts as early back as the Mandalorian Wars. During his brief visit on Rakata Prime before the Jedi Civil War, Revan created a Sith Holocron that Darth Bane would later find. Despite Darth Revan not even being in his prime for that incarnation alone, the knowledge contained within this mere device surpassed those of the Academy's entire archives. Revan knew of rituals so dangerous and deadly that Darth Bane could hardly even comprehend their potential - and doubted that he would ever dare to use some of what Revan knew.

"To Bane it seemed the teachings contained within the single holocron surpassed those of the Academy's entire archives. Revan had discovered many of the rituals of the ancient sith, and as the holocron's avatar explained their nature and purpose, Bane could barely wrap his mind around their awesome potential. Some of the rituals were so terrible, so dangerous to attempt, even for a true Sith master, that he doubted he would ever dare to use them."

―Darth Bane (Star Wars: Darth Bane: Path of Destruction)

"In only a few short weeks he'd learned more about the true nature of the dark side than he had in all his time on Korriban. Revan had been a true Sith Lord, unlike the simpering Masters who bowed to Kaan and his Brotherhood."

―Darth Bane (Darth Bane: Path of Destruction)

Darth Bane would go on to use one of Revan's rituals to devastate the entire surface of Ruusan with massive fires that turned nearly everything to ash. A more famous ritual Darth Bane would use by Revan's teachings, however, was none other than Thought Bomb itself. The Thought Bomb was the result of an ancient ritual that, through the focused willpower of many unified Sith Lords, unleashed the full volatility of the dark side of the Force. When detonated, the Thought Bomb annihilated the entirety—corporeal and beyond—of every Force-sensitive being caught within its blast radius and absorbed their fragmented souls into a swirling vortex of perpetual torment that resolved into an orb of silver iridescence.

"[The ritual] united the minds of the Sith through a single vessel so their power can be unleashed upon the physical world. The storm rolled down from the plateau and rumbled across the forest. Hundreds of forks of searing lightning shot down from the sky-and the forest erupted. Trees and spreading out in all directions. The underbrush smoldered, smoked, and ignited; and a wall of fire swept across the planet's surface. The inferno consumed everything in its path."

―Darth Bane (Star Wars: Darth Bane: Path of Destruction)

"[The Thought Bomb is] a weapon so powerful that when it is detonated, the victors shall become the vanquished and be swept from the pages of history."

―Kaan (Star Wars: Darth Bane: Path of Destruction)

As I told you about in countless paragraphs above, Revan's knowledge came from many different sources. Some came from his masters, where he learned all he could from each of them. Others came from the ancient Sith homeworld of Korriban. I would argue, however, that most of Revan's knowledge derived from Malachor V itself. Revan plundered and learned from an entire "planet-sized Sith storehouse of knowledge!" It was said that entire cities were buried beneath Malachor V before its destruction, and Revan went through them all. Please take note that, because of this, Revan's grasp on the Force is far greater than even the likes of Darth Traya. Much of Malachor V's ancient secrets were destroyed during the Battle of the Malachor V, with the only notable structure left remaining being the Trayus Academy. It was said that all Kreia learned from the Academy had already been looked over by Revan and Malak personally. Just imagine the knowledge Revan wielded!

"Unbeknownst to the Jedi Order, Darth Revan has discovered numerous Sith artifacts and holocrons, all stored in great tomb-like cities buried beneath Malachor V's surface. As Revan plundered these tombs and relics, he fell deeper into the Dark Side. He learned of the location and the true nature of Korriban, he learned of the location of other Sith artifacts, and he learned how those strong in the light side of the Force could be seduced and made to see the strength inherent in the Sith teachings. Revan knew he had discovered more than a staging area for the Mandalorian War - he had discovered an ancient, planet-sized Sith storehouse of knowledge."

―Star Wars: Chronicles of the Old Republic

"Led by a woman named Kreia, the rogue Jedi turned to the dark side teachings uncovered by Malak and Revan. Kreia took the name Darth Traya, and her followers called themselves the Sith after the long-lost species that had invaded the Republic a millennium before."

―Star Wars: The Old Republic: Revan

Besides the ancient arts of the Sith, Revan had knowledge on other powers that we should certainly cover again briefly. Darth Revan used the art of Drain Knowledge to rip the language of the ancient Rakata out of The One's and Elder Rakata Council's minds, and implanted Galactic Basic into their skulls. Do not forget he did this to a species that is extremely resistant to all telepathic based Force assaults. Darth Revan was also a master at the art of Detoxify Poison, as evidenced by teaching Darth Bane on how to use the Force to ward off the likes of poisons, toxins, and even diseases. As explained above, he also had knowledge in the powers of forming Force Bonds or stripping the power of someone in the act of Force Sever. He is also confirmed to be knowledgeable in the areas of Force Fear, Force Slow, Force Stun, Force Rage, and Force Healing. For more information, checkout my Revan Respect Thread.

"You used the Force to draw the Rakata language for our minds, even as you planted Basic into our skulls so we could help you in your quest to escape the world."

―Elder Rakata Council (Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic)

"Revan had shown him how to use the Force to ward off poison and disease. No simple toxin should be able to affect anyone strong enough in the dark side to be a Lord of the Sith."

―Darth Bane (Darth Bane: Path of Destruction)

I promised you I would elaborate on his greatest feat, so here you go! During the Battle of Malachor V, Revan called upon the power of the planet from orbit. Despite the distance, Revan was able to draw on the power and unleash it onto both the Republic and Mandalorian fleets. In this act, the Mandalorian fleets turned to disarray and the battle itself was completely turned. For the Republic fleet, thousands of Jedi and Republic soldiers became corrupted and mindlessly loyal to Revan's cause. For Revan to have achieved such results, the amount of energies he would have harnessed through the processes of Force Drain and Tutaminis is extraordinary.

"Revan used the Trayus Academy to influence the battle above Malachor V, using its power to affect the tide of battle and corrupt others to the Sith. "

―Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords

However, Revan didn't simply use the energies of Malachor V - he combined it with his own. As the quote supplied above said, Revan turned his followers to Sith. The energies of a planet cannot simply covert alliances to factions, that would of had to been influenced by an actual being. Luckily, you are already educated that Revan can indeed corrupt Jedi using the Force to his own cause. Besides everything else going on here, Revan would have had to of been using some variation of Telepathy as well. Like Sasukedc said, "a rock cannot engage in a telepathic war" (inside joke, move along). However, a common rebuttal of this feat is the argument that the Jedi simply got corrupted from the planet without Revan's interference. This has three critical flaws.

The Mandalorians were winning the battle before Revan arrived, completely decimating Meetra Surik's forces. This demonstrates that the Trayus Academy and Malachor V had no hinderment on them until Revan used its power to "affect the tide of the battle."

Revan was unable to truly feel the corrupt, dark side presence of Malachor V until he arrived on the surface. While he would later call upon the power from orbit, he already knew the energies were there. The Jedi then should not be able to sense something that is clouded by the dark side.

"Revan is able to draw upon the dark side energies of the planet below and use it during the battle."

―Star Wars: Chronicles of the Old Republic

"Many of the most powerful, terrifying, and notorious Sith Lords through history have been Human or near-Human, including Exar Kun, Darth Malak, Darth Bane, Darth Sidious, Darth Vader, and Darth Krayt."

―Behind the Threat: The Sith

Darth Malak is canonically one of the most powerful Sith Lords in galactic history, as shown by the quote above. Despite this, he is said by Vandar Tokare and the official Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic video game to be inferior to Darth Revan, which means Revan is also among the most powerful ever. Malak would definitely like to disagree, but Darth Revan even defeated him in combat on his flagship, forcing Malak to wear his infamous metallic jaw guard.

"Of the two traitorous Sith, Revan was the stronger. Malak grudgingly assumed the role of apprentice."

―Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic

Darth Revan was also stated to be the "the most powerful Sith Lord" alongside the Darth Sidious and Darth Caedus in Wizards of the Coast: Sith Showdown. Surely the names of Palpatine and Jacen Solo are infamous enough that I need not to explain why this is such a testament to Revan's power.

"The Star Wars universe has created some truly vile dark side villains. Have you ever wondered what would happen if the most powerful Sith Lords [Darth Sidious, Darth Caedus, and Darth Revan] duked it out for supremacy of the galaxy?"

―Wizards of the Coast: Sith Showdown

This little snippet will be short, but since we were just talking about Darth Malak, I would like to clarify something. Many people feel the need to lowball Darth Revan since Darth Malak hypes that he is inferior to his Knights of the Old Republic incarnation. While I will not publicly take sides on my belief on who would win between the two Revan's, using Malak's quote as the basis of your argument is pathetic. And yes, I am referring to this:

"You are stronger than I thought; stronger than you ever were during your reign as the Dark Lord. I did not think that was possible."

―Darth Malak (Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic)

People fail to understand that, despite Darth Revan's power (as I highlighted above and will continue to extensively cover below), Darth Malak saw him as "weak." Before you jump to baseless conclusions, allow me to elaborate why. Darth Revan knew the Star Forge was both a blessing and a curse. While Darth Malak wanted use the Star Forge's power to its fullest extent, Revan knew better. Darth Revan tried to limit his exposure to the Star Forge as much as possible, and only harnessed its power when needed. Why? Corruption of the Star Forge was eventually inevitable - which was made clear by the combined cautions of the Rakata and Ancient Sith Lords. Malak saw this logical decision by Revan as a weakness.

"You were a fool. All you saw was an enormous factory, all you ever imagined was an infinite fleet rolling forth to crush the Republic. You were blind, Revan - blind and stupid! The Star Forge is more than just a space station. In some ways, it is like a living creature. It hungers. And it can feed on the dark side that is within all of us!"

―Darth Malak (Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic)

Darth Malak also loathed Revan for his approach during the Jedi Civil War. Despite Revan's intentions to specifically keep infrastructures and worlds intact in preparation for the Sith Emperor's army, Malak preferred absolute destruction and chaos. Darth Revan sparing several key worlds that Darth Malak felt should have been destroyed did not sit nicely. Eventually, Malak's comments sparked a duel between the two that ended when Revan delivered a lightsaber strike to his apprentice that removed Malak's jaw. It is only logical that a man would hate the one who injured him the most. Also, please do not derail the thread by posting your rebuttals or feelings on this match in the comments below.

"The Republic conquest initially goes well, but in time, Malak ses Lord Revan as soft, resulting in a tension that culminates in a lightsaber duel; Malak loses his lower jaw to Revan's blade, necessitating a metallic jaw guard. Returning the favor, Malak fires on Revan's flagship. Unaware that the Jedi have captured the traitor, Malak assumes the crown of ruling Dark Lord, inheriting the empire."

―Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic Campaign Guide

It has long been debated who is more powerful: Revan or the Jedi Exile. Little do the supporters of the Exile know that not only is Revan canonically "far more powerful" than her, but Darth Traya and Darth Nihilus as well. Allow me to support this heavy claim with credible sources.

1.) Revan is the most powerful Jedi in the Jedi Order as of the Mandalorian Wars, automatically making him superior to Kreia, Meetra Surik, Malak, Atris, Vandar Tokare, Vrook Lamar, Zhar Lestin, Dorak, Nomi Sunrider, Kavar, and Zez-Kai Ell, Lucien Draay, and all other living Jedi:

"In battle after battle, Revan had led the Jedi and Republic forces to victory. Realizing defeat was inevitable, Mandalore the Ultimate had challenge Revan to single combat, and Revan had accepted. Though the Mandalorian fought valiantly, in the end he was no match for the Jedi Order's most powerful champion."

―Star Wars: The Old Republic: Revan

2.) Revan, as of the Battle of Malachor V since that was the last time Meetra Surik has ever seen Revan, was more powerful than anyone else she had ever met, automatically making him superior to the likes of the Sith Triumvirate: Darth Nihilus, Darth Traya, and Darth Sion:

"It was easy to understand how Scourge could be drawn to him; Revan's command of the Force was greater then that of anyone else she had ever met."

―Star Wars: The Old Republic: Revan

3.) Darth Traya was more powerful than the Jedi Exile, but Revan was more powerful then Darth Traya, which therefore means Revan is more powerful than the Jedi Exile as of the end of Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords as far back as the Mandalorian Wars:

"Although Traya was more powerful, the Exile managed to defeat her in combat.."

―The Complete Star Wars Encyclopedia

4.) Revan had grown "far more powerful" since the Battle of Malachor V according to canon, which means then that Revan is logically "far more powerful" than any member of the Sith Triumvirate and Meetra Surik during his Revan Reborn incarnation in Star Wars: The Old Republic: Revan:

"Revan had grown since then. He was far more powerful now.."

―Star Wars: The Old Republic: Revan

5.) Chris Avellone, head writer of Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords and creator of the characters of Darth Traya and Meetra Surik states that Revan would be able to defeat the combined force of Darth Traya AND the Jedi Exile combined:

"If the Exile could defeat Kreia, Revan would have an easier time of it. ;) United with the Exile, Kreia and the Exile vs. Revan? My money’s still on Revan, since in my mind, Revan was a master strategist as well as an extremely powerful Force wielder. Granted, it depends on the circumstances, but everything else being equal, Revan’s just... Revan."

―Chris Avellone (Knights of the Old Republic 2 Head Writer)

Meetra Surik: Also known as the Jedi Exile, this legendary Jedi is regarded by Lord Scourge as one of the greatest Jedi ever. Her most notable feat was single-handily ending the First Jedi Purge by defeating Darth Traya, Darth Nihilus, Darth Sion, and an entire Sith academy on Malachor V composed of legions of Sith Assassins. The Jedi Exile was also said to have bested the master lightsaber combatant Atris through sheer "lightsaber prowess." She was also skilled in all lightsaber and Force forms. Despite this, Chris Avellone, the creator of her character, stated that Revan would... well... read it for yourself:

"Revan could kick the Exile’s ass..."

―Chris Avellone (Knights of the Old Republic 2 Head Writer)

Darth Traya: Also known as Kreia, this shadowy Sith Lord should easily be recognized as among the most powerful. Using the power of telekinesis, Kreia is able to instantly kill over half-a-dozen Sith Assassins and throw back the combined might of Vrook Lamar, Zez-Kai-Ell, and Kavar backwards. These three Jedi are said to be masters in lightsaber combat and "possesses extremely potent Force powers" respectively. Following this, she used Force Drain to sap the life force of the three Jedi Masters to the point where it is described as their "bodies are worse than lifeless, it's like an absence in the Force." She was also a master at Precognition, Shatterpoint, and Telepathy. Despite this, it is said that even the combined power of Kreia and Meetra Surik would pale in comparison to Revan's might, as shown by the quotes above. Please remember that not only is Mandalorian Wars Revan more powerful than Darth Traya, but he is more powerful than her incarnation in the heart of Malachor V when her powers were amplified by "a colossal geyser of dark side energy."

Darth Sion: Only a few Sith Lords have been able to achieve immortality, but even less have been said to be literally "invincible." As the literal Lord of Pain, Darth Sion is able to hold himself together after death by his immense hatred and unyielding will. His prowess was such that he said, "I can die a hundred times, Exile, and still I will rise again, as strong as before." Being described as an "a perversion of the dark side," Lord Sion was a skilled lightsaber combatant who had killed scores of Jedi. The Dark Lord also possessed great physical strength and knowledge in the rare art of Force Drain.

"Average beings stand no chance of stopping these ultra-powerful monsters of the dark side. Only the greatest heroes may ultimately defeat them."

―Power Beyond Belief: Using Ultra-Powerful Sith Lords in Saga Edition

Darth Nihilus: Few words can describe the power wielded by this abomination of the dark side. "Darth Nihilus is literally a destroyer of worlds, powered by an insatiable hunger that drives him to consume greater and greater populations." He "obliterated" the planet of Katarr, which contained most of "the most powerful Jedi" in the galaxy, "with a thought." Eventually, his power was believed to be able to consume the entire galaxy if he was not stopped. In terms of Telekinesis, he telekinetically tore a fleet of Star Destroyer sized vessels from the extreme gravity vortex of Malachor V, and then held and moved the ship through space with his raw power. He was also able capable of "disintegrating" Sith soldiers with the power of the Force, and his "very speech causes pain and death to all who hear it." Many make the argument that, since both Meetra Surik and Darth Nihilus are wounds in the Force, the Exile could not accurately feel the power of Darth Nihilus (hence why she said Revan is the most powerful being she ever met). This is far from the truth. The official game files of Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords states "the player should realize that Nihilus is FAR more powerful than they had believed." Please note that even before this, Meetra Surik could not even comprehend his devastation of Katarr saying, "To kill on such a scale... it's impossible. I don't understand, it would have taken several Republic cruisers to destroy the surface of Katarr."

“One cannot have power of that magnitude and still think and perceive the universe as we do."

―Darth Traya (Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic: The Sith Lords)

Section V: Conclusion

"I am Darth Revan, Dark Lord of the Sith. Those who use the dark side are also bound to serve it. To understand this is to understand the underlying philosophy of the Sith.

The dark side offers power for power's sake. You must crave it. Covet it. You must seek power above all else, with no reservation or hesitation. The Force will change you. It will transform you. Some fear this change. The teachings of the Jedi are focused on fighting and controlling this transformation. That is why those who serve the light are limited in what they accomplish.

True power can come only to those who embrace the transformation. There can be no compromise. Mercy, compassion, loyalty: all these things will prevent you from claiming what is rightfully yours. Those who follow the dark side must cast aside these conceits. Those who do not—those who try to walk the path of moderation—will fail, dragged down by their own weakness.

Those who accept the power of the dark side must also accept the challenge of holding on to it. By its very nature the dark side invites rivalry and strife. This is the greatest strength of the Sith: it culls the weak from our order. Yet this rivalry can also be our greatest weakness. The strong must be careful lest they be overwhelmed by the ambitions of those working beneath them in concert. Any master who instructs more than one apprentice in the ways of the dark side is a fool. In time, the apprentices will unite their strengths and overthrow the master. It is inevitable; axiomatic. That is why each Master must have only one student.

This is also the reason there can only be one Dark Lord. The Sith must be ruled by a single leader: the very embodiment of the strength and power of the dark side. If the leader grows weak another must rise to seize the mantle. The strong rule; the weak are meant to serve. This is the way it must be.